Kelsey Helton

Kelsey Helton is an elementary music teacher in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Kelsey currently teaches PreK-5th grade music in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and directs an after-school choir, the Singing Stars, and directs the all-school musical. She is also a musician at Calvary Lutheran Church in North Richland Hills. Her professional trainings include Orff 1, Kodaly 1, World Music Drumming, World Music Pedagogy, Kindermusic, First Steps in Music, Mariachi Education, and Texas state certifications in Music, Art, SPED, GT, ESL and Core Subjects K-4 with Science of Teaching Reading.

Previously, she taught in Dickinson ISD and directed the Silbernagel Sound Choir, recorder club, and UIL Music Memory. She served as the elementary and middle school music team lead and was named Campus Teacher of the Year in 2023. In 2022, she was a state finalist for the HEB Teacher of Excellence Award, and named on the Galveston Daily News’ 40 Under 40 List. Kelsey also taught art and directed the choir at Fanfare! Lutheran Music Academy in Galveston, and founded the Galveston County Summer Children’s choir.

“I believe that music is essential for students to see the world with kind and accepting hearts. I enjoy bringing world music and different cultures into the classroom so students can see that we are not that different from each other and that, together, we can create something amazing.”

Kelsey is a member of NAfME, TMEA, TCDA, and P.E.O. and has presented at conferences in Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and online.